March 2020
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I am pleased to let you know that your child can continue to learn about, develop skills and make music while at home these next few weeks. As part of your child’s daily routine, I'd like to encourage the students to engage in at least 10-15 minutes of recorder practice each day. I would also encourage the students to take this time to watch and/or read the postings on See Saw and the Music Blog, The Crestview Music Room. Click the Music tab in your Seesaw account to view music activities, announcements and assignments. If Music is not showing up, please email me!
We expect that the students are learning and advancing in skills and knowledge during this time.
I am sending home a package of music with your child’s recorder. Please have your child wash it in hot, soapy water, take it apart, use a bottle cleaner for the inside and then air dry. When school resumes, please make sure it is washed again and returned on our first day back. They will need them again.
The package of music being sent home is part of the Recorder Hero program, with each song advancing to a new level. The students must work through the songs in order. (If the student is burning through the songs, please feel free to contact me and we can figure out how to get you more songs.) Please see the recorder rubric in the package as to how the students are being evaluated on each song. In order to pass to the next level, the students must score 15 or higher out of 20 on the rubric. If they do not meet the recommended scoring, they will have to keep practicing and retake that level. Recorder Hero songs can be listened to on the Music Blog and/or Seesaw. The students will use Seesaw to record their playing of their song. I will communicate with the student whether or not they need more practice or can move on to the next level.
If the noise of the recorder is an issue, please cut out and attach the MUTE to the recorder. The Music Blog will have instructions on how to do this. Please allow your child to practice without the mute as well. Please note, the recorder should be played with a very gentle, feather-like blowing.
Thank you for helping your child during this unprecedented time. Music is a place to soothe the soul and gives us room for creativity and joy. Learning an instrument and reading music is good for our brains, fine motor skills and teaches us perseverance, confidence and communication.
Please contact me through email at any time. All the best!
Ms. Goertzen
K-5 Crestview Music Teacher
SeeSaw: Click Music tab in your Seesaw account
